I wrote this story about a year ago, based off an Internet prompt that I don't remember now. I submitted it for publication to a few places, but nothing happened, so I sat on it for a while and forgot about it. Until a few days ago when I stumbled across it again. It's hardly … Continue reading Short Story: “Portrait of an Amsterdam Lady”
Tag: writing
30k in 30 Days: A Writing Guide
As I type this, it's been over a month since the end of April, the month I undertook my plan to write 30,000 words of a story in 30 days. And since I successfully completed that daunting task, I've wanted to write something about how I managed it. Stuff about the planning and prep stages, … Continue reading 30k in 30 Days: A Writing Guide
A brief update on where I’ve been.
Hi again. As you may have noticed, it's been a little while since you last heard from me. Don't worry, I'm also well aware of this fact. But I don't intend to make absences of this length be a habit, and I'm sure you'll appreciate the news that business as usual will be resuming in … Continue reading A brief update on where I’ve been.
Short Story: “The Clown Bicycle Disaster of 1827”
I have no idea how to introduce this story. I think it defies explanation. But let's call it a work of absurdist literature? The only thing I can tell you about where it came from is that I challenged myself to write a piece of short fiction based on three randomly generated nouns, and that … Continue reading Short Story: “The Clown Bicycle Disaster of 1827”
Timed Writing vs. Word Count Goals: Which Is Better?
Not too long ago, I came across some interesting trivia about the late great author Terry Pratchett. He would try to write at least 400 words each day: on that simple schedule, he wrote dozens of highly acclaimed novels across his lifetime. Hearing about this inspired me to attempt a little more experimentation with my … Continue reading Timed Writing vs. Word Count Goals: Which Is Better?
Short Story: “The Only Grave on the Moon”
I got the inspiration for this piece a few weeks ago when I stumbled across the story of Eugene Shoemaker, who actually is the only person whose remains have been sent to the Moon. I initially approached my idea with the attitude of "Wouldn't this be a messed-up situation?" But once I started writing, it … Continue reading Short Story: “The Only Grave on the Moon”
Short Story: “Snapshot of an Apocalypse”
I wanted to throw another story up on here since I haven't done that in a while. This one is actually from about three years ago, and it's kind of weird even for me. I wanted to write something that was based around a description of a creature, and I also tried experimenting with second-person … Continue reading Short Story: “Snapshot of an Apocalypse”
He Said, She Said: The Process of Writing Dialogue
Unless you are working on an exceptionally strange and complicated novel, there will be some point in your writing process where your characters will have to actually open their mouths and say something. This is the magical world of dialogue, yet another thing that can either make or break your story depending on how well … Continue reading He Said, She Said: The Process of Writing Dialogue
Character Creator
So, we've gone over setting, and we've gone over plot. What comes next? The most important part of a story, of course! At least, the most important part to me. It's time for us to talk about characters: the actual figures who will be populating your fictional world and playing out the narrative you've written … Continue reading Character Creator
Plotting by the Seat of Your Pants (Or Not)
So, you're on your way to writing the greatest novel of your career. You've put in the worldbuilding time and created a setting that's vast and immersive, something you know your readers will love. Now you're ready to really get started on your dream project! But then there's that small matter of the actual "story" … Continue reading Plotting by the Seat of Your Pants (Or Not)
Himrich Hall 